Mechanical movement for apple-corers.



H.sHAnP; mfcHAmcAL MOVEMENTMMPBLE coms.

* Patented Mar.. 12, w18.

2 SHEETS-SHEET nl.

APPLiCTION FILED MAY 29.11317.

wimessss ATTO R N EY H. SHARP.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR APPLE CUIIIERS.`

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. |917. Patntedl Mar.12,1918.1

INVENTOR ,Harm/mm WITN ESSI-IS ATTORNEY Hannon snaar, or` GARFIELD, WASHINGTON.

MECHANICAL MGVEMENT FR APPLE-CORERS.

teas-riss.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atenteol Mar. 12, 1913.

Application filed May 2B. 1917. Serial No. 171,733.

To LU fr0/700m t may concern Re it known that l, Hannon SHARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Garfield, in the county of `W hitman and State of ldfashington, haveJ invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Movements for Apple-Corers, of which the following is a specification.

'.lhis invention relates to vegetable cutters, and more particularly to apple coring and cutting machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed and etlicient apparatus with which an apple may be cored and cut into segments in a single operation.

iiother object is to provide an apparatus of this character with interchangeable cutters whereby the size of the pieces in which the apple is to be out may be varied.

Another object is to provide an apparatus equipped with an apple holder and with a cutter which are movable toward and away from each other whereby an apple may be held and cut. during their movement toward each other and space provided for the insertion of another apple when they move away from each other.

With the foregoing and other objects in Yiew, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, an apple being shown in dotted lines ready to be cored and cut,

Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. f1 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion of one of the rack bars.

1n the embodiment illustrated, the apparatus constituting this invention comprises a base plate 1 of any suitable shape and size sufficient to support the parts of the apparatus constituting this invention. This plate is here shown rectangular in form and risino therefrom are two standards 2 and 3 spaced laterally from each other and provided on their inner faces with longitudinally extending guides in the form of grooves -1 which are designed to receive ribs 5 carried by rack bars 6 and 7 which are designed to reciprocate in said standards for a purpose presently to be described. rlihe teeth 8 of these raclr bars face each other and are designed to be engaged by two pinions 9 and 10 which are mounted to rotate between said bars, being journaled in two uprights 11 and 12 rising from the base plate 1 and which are secured and braced in position by a cross bar 13 secured to the upper ends of the standards 2 and 3. The upper ends of the uprights l1 and 12 have laterally extending arms as 'ld-'which are designed to abut at their free ends and operate as spacers for said uprights, being held in operative engagement by a bolt 15 vhich passes through the cross bar 13 and through the two uprights 11 and 12 as is shown clearly in Fig. 3.

A reinforcing and supporting` band 16 extends around the bottoms of the standards 2 and 3 and the uprights 11 and 12 and is provided with laterally extending flanges or base plates 17 which are secured to base 1 by screws or in any other suitable manner. (See'clearly Figs. 3 and et.) This band 16 is shown fastened to the uprights 2 and 3. The lower ends of the uprights 11 and 12 are provided with outwardly projecting laterally extending feet as 11 and 12 which are countersunk in the base plate 1 and preferably secured therein by screws as is shown clearly in Fig. 3 so that said uprights are firmly and rigidly connected with the base platev and thus adapted to withstand any strains to which they may be subjected. The pinions 9 and 10 are arranged one above the other in longitudinally spaced relation and the lower pinion 9 has one of its journals extending through the rear upright 12 and made angular in transverse section as shown at 18 to provide a connection for the crank handle 19 as is shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The rael; bar 6 has a laterally extending casting 2O projecting from its upper end and extending approximately across the space between the standards 2 and 3, said casting being here shown triangular in form with a depending spur 21 which constitutes the holder for the apple being designed to be inserted in one end thereof. A boss as 22 also depends from the casting 2() and opervates as a stop for limiting the insertion ofY the .spur Within the apple.

Projecting laterally from the lower end ol the rack bar 7 is similarly shaped casting 23 which carries a cutter 24 constructed in the form shovvnin Figs. l, 3 and l. lThis cutter as here shown comprises a central tube 25, one end of which Vis designed to be detachably mounted in an opening 26 formed in the casting 23 and which is limite'd in its insertion by a shoulder 27 formed in said opening as is shown clearly in Fig. 3. Arranged around the periphery oit this tube 25 are a plurality of cutting blades 28, any desired number of which may Vbe employed, four being here shown arranged at diametrically opposite points, although obviously any other desired number may be used. These blades have their cutting edges extended beyond the upper end of the tube and rounded as shown at 29 to facilitate their engagement withthe apple to be cut as is shown clearly in F ig. l. These blades extend substantially throughout the length of the tube 25 tapering toward their inner ends and operate to resist the kstrain exerted by the forcing of the blades into the apple which is occasioned by thc movement of the cutter 2st toward the holder 2l, it being obvious that when the crank handle is turned that' the reciprocation of the rack bars 6 and '7 produced thereby will operate Vto move the cutter and holder to'ivard and away from each other. he movement of these members toward eachother Will operate to simultaneously core and cut the apple into segment-s, Ythe core being cut out by the tube 25, the upper edge of which is sharpened as shown at 30 for this purpose and theV blades 28 Which project above the upper end of said tube Will be forced into the apple and cut it into segments. The core so cut will drop down through the tube 25 and is preferably caught in a bag l'here shown arranged under said tube for' this purpose. rlnhis bag 31 is provided at Vits upper end with hooks which are designed to detachably engage the outside ends of a rod 33 which extends transverselyv through the casting 23. Thisbag 8l has an openable closure 311- which is here shown in the 'form of an outturned flap connected with the by hooks and eyes indicated at 35.

From the above description it Will be understoodk that by turning the crank handle 19 in one direction the rack vbars Will be reciprocated so as to carry the apple holder 2l and the cutter 24'avvay from each other into the position shown in Figs; land 3 und when the apple has been properly positioned either on the cutter or suspended on thc -holder 2l, and the handle turned in the opposite direction, these members will move toward each other and thereby force the cutter upward and the apple downward7 coring and simultaneously cutting it into segments, and that the cores 'will drop through the tube 25 into the bag 31,7While the segments will drop on the outside thereof and may be caught in any suitable receptacle.

Y The Ypinion l0 is utilized to steady and guide the bars in their reciprocatory movement.

From the foregoing description7 taken in connection With the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction-and oit the method of operation will be readily apparent to thoseslrilled in the artto Which the invention appertaius and While I have described the principle of Operation of the Yinvention together with the device which l now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, l desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are Within the scope of the claimed invention.

lin an apparatus of the class described, abuse plate, a pair of laterally spaced stand ards rising therefrom and having longitudinally disposed guides on their inner opposed faces, rack bars having cooperating members mounted to slide on the guides of said standards and providedwithv teeth, the teeth ot one rack bar being arranged opposite those of the other, uprights disposed between said standards,a pair of vertically spaced pinions journaled in said uprights and meshing with said rack bars, a crank handle connected With one of said pinions, a member to be reciproca-ted projecting laterally from one of said rack bars and a cooperating member projecting laterally from the other and in alinement With said irst mentioned member whereby on the actuation of said crank handle the bars are reciprocated to move said members toward and away from eachother.

ln testimony whereof l alix my signature in presence of tivo Witnesses.

HARMON SHARP.

Witnesses A. P. JOHNSON, Guo. H. ARLAND.

.Copies of Ythis p atent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the"Commissioner of Iatents,

, Washington. 1 0. C, 

